Absorber for refrigerating systems



April 9, 1940.

w. H. KlTq'o ABSORBER FOR REFRIGERATING SYSTEMS- Filed June 24, 1937 IIIIJ llll lllllHHlllllllllll l lllllllllllllll llll 'iiiiiiiiiiiilmu mm IN-VENTOR illl'am 12mm;

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 9, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE William H. Kitto, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 24, 1937, Serial No. 150,151

7 10 Claims.

This invention relates to continuous absorption refrigerating systems and more particularly to absorbers adapted. for'use therein.

It is an object of this invention to agitate the v gases in a refrigeration absorber in such fashion that emcient heat transfer takes place between the said gases and the medium surrounding the absorber vessel.

It is a further object of the invention to cause 10 the gases and liquids contained in a refrigerator absorber to follow paths and motions such that eflicient absorption-takes place.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an absorber for a refrigeration system of 0 such character that stagnation of portions of the absorption liquid is eifectively prevented.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an absorber for refrigeration systems which is eflicient in operation and easy to manufacture.

Figure 3 is a view taken along the line 3-3 V of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows. Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the the arrows. g

Referring to the drawing in detail and first to Figure 1 thereof it will be apparent that a continuous absorption refrigerating system is illustrated as comprising a boiler B, a vapor separation chamber S, a rectifier R, a condenser C, an evaporator E, and an inclined tubular air cooled absorber A, and an inert gas circulating fan F driven by a motor G. e 45 The elements of the refrigeration system jus described are connected by various conduits to form a continuous absorption refrigerating system. A vapor lift conduit ll connects the boiler B to the vapor separation chamber S. The refrigerant circuit comprises a conduit 12 connecting the vapor separation chamber S to the rectifier R wherein entrained water vapor is condensed out of the refrigerant vapor and returned through conduit l2 to the separation chamber S. From the rectifier R a conduit I3 Other objects and advantages reside in'certain line 4-4 of Figure 2- looking in the direction of conveys the vaporous refrigerant to the condenser 0 wherein it is liquefied by atmospheric cooling. The liquid refrigerant is discharged into the evaporator E through the conduit I.

The inert gas circuit comprises a conduit l5 connecting the discharge side of the fan F with the evaporator E. Gas discharged through the conduit I5 into the evaporator E picks up ammonia vapor boiled oi! the liquid discharged from the conduit l4 and the vapor-gas mixture is discharged from the evaporator E through the conduit 16 into the lower portion of the absorber A. In the absorber A the vapor gas mixture discharged from the conduit l6 passes in counterflow relation to absorption liquid whereby the vapor is stripped from the inert gas and the pure inert gas is returned to the fan F by way of conduit I! which is in heat exchange relation with conduit l6.

Weak absorption liquid is discharged into the separation chamber S by vapor lift conduit H and is conveyed from chamber S to the upper portion of the absorber A by means of conduit 3.. The absorption liquid flows downwardly through the inclined tubular absorber in counterfiow to the gas vapor mixture and is returned to the boiler through the conduit l9 which is in heat exchange relation with the weak liquor conduit l8. 4

The boiler B is heated in any suitablemanner as by agas flame or an electrical heater. The inert gas circulating fan motor G is connected to a source of electricity in any suitable manner.

The general arrangement of the absorber A is illustrated in Figure 1. The absorber A comprises a continuous reversely bent conduit 21 preferably formed by welding return bends to aseries of straight conduits and is continuously inclined from its upper to its lower end. The pipe 2| need not be vertically positioned as illustrated, for purpose of convenience, in Figure 1; it may be positioned in any plane from the ver- 7 ,tical to one slightly inclined from the horizontal.

The pipe 2| is designed to be cooled by natural conduction currents induced in the surrounding atmosphere.

Referring now to Figures 2, 3, and 4 the ab sorber will .be described in detail. In order to cool the absorber the exterior surface thereof, except at the return bends, is covered with heat conducting fins 22 which are provided with integral collars 23 snugly engaging the pipe 2|. The fins and collars 22-23 are preferably made of light sheet metal material and have a high heat conductivity. The collars 23 should be mounted to have good thermal contact with pipe 2|; this canbe accomplished by welding, brazing, tinning, or by forcing the collars 23 onto the pipe 2|.

InteriorIy the absorber pipe 2| is provided with a plurality of spaced bailie members 24 and 25.

Each baflle member 24 is constructed from a cup of thin sheet material preferably having a high heat conductivity. The bottom of the cup is dished and then cut out along two parallel chords leaving-two spaced segments 21 and 28 in the cup bottom. The segment 28 is detached from the cylindrical portion 29 of the cup 24 except at its top central portion and is then bent outwardly.

The baiile members 25 are also formed from cup members made of light weight sheet material preferably having a high heat conductivity. The

'bottom of each baflie member 25.is cut out along two parallel chords to form a pair of spaced segments 38 and 3|. The cut out portions of'the baflles 25 are narrower than the cut out portions of the baffles 24. The lower segment 38 of each baffle 25 is normal to the cylindrical portion 32 of the bafile and is provided with a small opening 33 at its central portion adjacent the cylindrical portion 32. The upper segment 3| of each baiile 25 is cut and bent outwardly in the 32, respectively. This structure provides better heat transfer between the gas stream and the fins 22 but it also results in a sharper angle of gas and liquid contact.

The baille cups 24 and 25, are assembled in spaced relation in the absorber pipe 2|. The baflles are placed in the pipe 2| with the segments 28 and 3| pointing upstream with respect to the direction of flow of the absorption liquid as indicated in Figure 2. The baflles are arranged in pairs; that is, one baille 25 is placed with its cylindrical portion 32 in abutting relation with the end of am-associated baflle 24 having segments 21 and 28 and upstream with respect thereto.

The segments 21 and 30 are placed in the bottom portion of the absorber pipe 2|. The baflle pairs are spaced a substantial distance apart in the absorber pipe 2| whereby they form spaced pools of absorption liquid indicated at 34. The baffles are so placed with respect to the inclination of the pipe 2| and the height of the segments 21 that the foot portion of each liquid pool 34 barely covers the lowermost portion of the next upstream segment 21.

The bailles 24 and 25 are forced into the pipe 2| whereby the cylindrical portions 28 and 32, respectively, have good thermal contact with the interior wall of the absorber pipe2l. The baflles 24 and 25 may be welded, brazed, tinned, pressed, or secured in any other'suitable manner to the inner wall of the pipe 2|.

In operation weak absorption liquor is supplied to the upper end of the absorber through the conduit I8 and trickles down through the absorber pipe 2| forming a plurality of spaced pools of liquid indicated at 34. It will be seen from. Figure 2 that the liquid contained in the pools 34 cannot spill over the segments 30 of the baiiles 25; therefore the liquid must pass through the openings 33, which are assembled adjacent the lowermost portion of the absorber and does not take an active part in the absorption process. Due to the arrangement herein disclosed the weak liquid is brought from the bottom of the pool up through the surface of the small pool between adjacent baiiles 24 and 25 and is then discharged down the inclined surface of the segment 21 into the foot portion of the next lower liquid pool 34. This action agitates the entire pool 34, prevents stratification, and mixes the liquids of various concentrations therein contained. The liquid travelling down the inclined face of segment 21 is struck and wiped by the gas stream and thus produces efllcient gas liquid contact and absorption. The segments 28 and 3| introduce turbulent condition into the gas stream and cause the same to have good wiping contact with the interior walls of the pi 2| to thereby transmit the heat of absorption through the walls 2|"to thefins 22. The segments 28 and 3| also direct the gas stream against the surfaces of the liquid pools and thereby agitate the pools to prevent stratification therein. Due to the fact that the segments 28' and 3| are positioned adjacent the segments 21 and 38, respectively, and also adjacent the deepest portion of the liquid pools, the gas passing by the segments 28 and 3| possesses a relatively high velocity and aids in promoting eflicient agitation and stirring of the liquid in the pools 34.

While I have illustrated and described several embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that these are to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the precise structure shown but to include all equivalent variations thereof except as limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An absorber adapted for use in an absorption refrigerating system using inert gas, which comprises an inclined vessel and baflle elements in said vessel adapted to cause the formation of liquid pools along the lower side of said vessel, said baflle elements having means thereon for causing gases supplied to said vessel'to pass therethrough turbulently and to be forcibly directed ontothe surface of each liquid pool adjacent one end thereof at a plurality of points, the means which causes the gases to strike the surfaces of said liquid pools comprising downwardly directed vanes formed on said baiile elements.

2. An absorber adapted for use in an absorption refrigerating system using inert gas, which comprises an inclined vessel and baiile elements in said vessel to cause the formation of liquid pools along the lower side of said vessel, said baflle elements having means thereon for causing gases supplied to said vessel to pass therethrough turbulently and to be forcibly'directed onto the surface of each liquid pool adjacent one end thereof at a plurality of points and alternate baflies having openings in the lower portions thereof.

3. An absorber comprising an inclined conduit, means for supplying absorption liquid to the upper end of the conduit and for removing liquid from the lower end thereof, a plurality of spaced pairs of baflles in said condu t adapted to form pools of absorption liquid, the distance between the baffles of each pair being less than the distance between the pairs, the up-stream baille of each pair being constructed to force the liquid at the bottoms of the liquid pools to pass upwardly into the space between the pairs of bailles, and gas guiding and directing vanes on each of said baflles.

4. In an absorption refrigerating system the combination of an inclined conduit,. means for supplying absorption liquid to the upper portion and for removing liquid from the lower portion thereof, a plurality of spaced pairs of battles in said conduits adapted to form liquid pools,'the arrangement being such that the liquid pools are separated into unequal parts by one of the bailles of each pair, said separating baflles being constructed to cause the liquid in the bottom of the larger portions of the pools to pass to the surface of the smaller portions of the liquid pools, and means on each of said baiiles for directing gas downwardly at a sharp angle against the liquid pools formed thereby.

5. An absorber adapted for use in an absorption refrigerating system comprising an inclined vessel, a plurality of spaced pairs of pool forming and gas guiding battles in said conduit, one baflle of each pair being formed from a cup element having its bottom portion cut out to form a pair of facing segments, one segment being bowed and inclined outwardly from the wall of said cup element and the other segment being struck outwardly from the plane of the bottom of the cup element, the other baflle of each pair being formed from a cup element having a portion of its bottom cut out to form a par of oppositely facing segments, one of said last mentioned segments being provided with an opening and the other of said last mentioned segments being outwardly from the plane of said cup elefnent bottom.

through said conduit, a plurality of spaced pairs 7 of baflles in said conduit, the downstream baiile of each pair including a pool forming weir incirculating a mixture of inert gas and refrigerant clined counter to the direction of liquid flow and a downwardly directed gas guiding vane, the upstream baflle of each pair including an orifice adjacent the bottom portion of said conduit and a downwardly directed gas guiding vane and a plurality of heat rejecting fins on the exterior wall of said conduit.

7. Absorption refrigerating apparatus comprising an inclined tubular absorber conduit,- a

, plurality of heat rejecting fins mounted on the exterior wall of said conduit, means for supplying absorption solution to the upper end of said conduit and for removing enriched absorption solution from the lower end thereof, means for vapor to be absorbed upwardly through said conduit, means mounted within said inclined con- ,duit for forming pools of the absorption solutionalong the bottom bf said conduit and for directing solution from the deepest end of each of said pools to the shallowest ends 'of subjacent pools, said last-mentioned means including means for inducing turbulent flow conditions in the gas stream above the surfaces of said pools.

8. Absorption refrigerating apparatus comprising an elongated tubular absorber conduit, air coolinglfins carried on the exterior wall of said conduit, means for supplying lean absorbing solution to one portion of said conduit and for removing enriched absorbing solution from another portion thereof, means for supplying a mixture of refrigerant vapor to be absorbed and inert gas to said conduit, and liquid pool forming and gas flow obstructing means frictionally engaged with the inner wall of said conduit, said last-mentioned means including a plurality of liquid pool forming portions along the lower tion thereof to produce turbulent conditions in the refrigerant vapor inert gas stream.

9. Absorption refrigerating apparatus comprising an elongated tubular absorber conduit, means for supplying lean absorbing solution to one portion of said conduit and for removing enriched absorbing solution from another portion thereof, means for supplying a mixture of refrigerant vapor to be absorbed and inert gas to said conduit, liquid pool forming and gas flow obstructing means frictionally engaged with the inner wall of said conduit, said last-mentioned means including a plurality of liquid pool forming portions along the lower portion of the interior of said conduit, portions formed to direct liquid at the bottom portion of each of said pools adjacent its associated pool forming portion into the portion of an adjacentv pool remote from its associated pool forming portion and portions above the surface of each of said pools projecting inwardly of the inner wall of said conduit into the gascontaining portion thereof to direct the refrigerant vapor inert gas mixture against the surfaces of the poolsat a sharp angle and generally counter to the direction of liquid flow, and means for abstracting heat from the bottom portions of said pools and for abstracting heat from all portions of the gas stream in contact with the inner wall of said conduit."

10. An absorber for absorption refrigerating duit, means for supplying an absorbing solution to the upper end of said conduit, means for sup- ,machines comprising an inclined tubular conplying a stream of refrigerant vapor and prespressure equalizing medium and refrigerant v'a por to strike the deepest end of each pool at a sharp angle and to produce a non-straight flow thereof through said conduit to improve the contact between the pressure equalizing medium refrigerant vapor stream, the solution and the walls of the conduit. I

. WILLIAM H. KI'I'I'O. 

